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Arkansas 2017 year-end report Conserving Arkansas for Future Generations

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Page 1: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

Arkansas2017year-endreport

Conserving

Arkansas

for Future

Generations

Page 2: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

2

Board of TrusteesChair

Gus Vratsinas, Little RockVice Chair

Robin McClendon, MonticelloSecretary

Belinda Shults, Little RockTreasurer

Ritter Arnold, Marked Tree

Fred Berry, YellvilleJohn Chamberlin, Little RockMichael Clark, BentonvilleMary Elizabeth Eldridge, FayettevilleJohn Fletcher, Little RockKevin Igli, SpringdaleBob Lanford, Little RockHugh McDonald, Little RockLisenne Rockefeller, Little RockAnn Rosso, FayettevilleMark Saviers, Little RockTom Schueck, Little RockCraig Shackelford, MontroseBaxter Sharp, BrinkleyJD Simpson, Little RockDavid Snowden, Jr., Little RockWitt Stephens, Jr., Little RockDhu Thompson, Little RockBecky Wheeler, Little RockGay White, Little RockBrent Whittington, Little Rock

DirectorScott Simon, Little Rock

Welcome New Legacy Club MembersMembers of the Legacy Club have madea lasting commitment to conservationthrough a life-income gift or by naming TheNature Conservancy in their estate plans.Our deepest thanks to the 199 friends whobelong to the Legacy Club in Arkansas, in-cluding these new members or memberswho have made additional gift intentions:

Anonymous (3) Margaret Bartelt James & Denise Burch Kathryn Frederick Raeburn Hughes Nancy A. Johnston Gloria A. Jones Steven G. Parsons Amanda Raney Cynthia Ré Robbins Safarik Ed & Chotsy Sheppard Dr. John B. Simpson Martha L. Strother Dick & Nancy Trammel

Leaving a LegacyIs Easy andRewardingA bequestis one of thesimplest waysto protectthe lands andwaters youcare about.You can eas-ily name theConservancy asa beneficiary of your will, trust,retirement plan, life insurancepolicy or financial accounts.Anyone can make a bequest andno amount is too small.

For more information, contactSusan Borné: (501) 614-5071or [email protected] or visitnature.org/gift-planning. n

Susan Borné

65prescribedburns on11,157 acres

6,705acres enrolled in wetland easements

500,000+trees planted

90cavesurveyingtrips

16acquisitionstotallingmore than2,500 acres

5new trails

1new floatingcampingplatform

10newunpavedroadsprojects

Our Year in a Nutshell

Page 3: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

3

On the cover

In the 1950s, Dr. Johan Eliotof Michigan was a travelingpublic health physician for theState of Arkansas. That’s whenhe first encountered, and fell inlove with, the Buffalo Riverarea around Mt. Judea. He andhis wife Frances spent the nextseveral decades assemblingproperties on a mountain over-looking the river valley. Theirproperty recently became a newNature Conservancy preserve.

The Eliots’ childrenapproached the Conservancy tofulfill the wishes of their latefather to keep the propertynatural through a generousbargain sale. The Conservancy,in partnership with the BuffaloRiver Foundation and withsupport from The ConservationFund and other generousdonors, purchased the 1,425forested acres. The newpreserve, known as CouncilRock Forest, is important forwildlife and water quality. It ishome to three rare bat species—the northern long-eared bat,Indiana bat and gray bat. And itborders Big Creek, which flowsinto the Buffalo River.

“This is a great example oflocal landowners working inpractical ways to conserve thenatural resources and culturalheritage of the Buffalo River

watershed,” said Mike Mills,Buffalo River Foundationboard member.

The preserve includes ahistoric log cabin built by PeterCampbell in the early 1900s.Many residents of the sur-rounding valley descend fromMr. Campbell, including hisyoungest son, Loyd, who wasborn in the cabin in 1938 andstill lives nearby. Neighbors re-member the Eliots fondly forrestoring the homestead andallowing it to be a place forthem to gather.

“Council Rock Forest hasbeen a special place for peoplefor generations,” said ScottSimon, director of theConservancy in Arkansas. “It isimportant for the Buffalo River

to keep it forested. We are hon-ored to be part of its history,and we look forward to workingwith our neighbors and otherorganizations on the future ofthis great place.”

Over the past year,Conservancy staff and volun-teers have been getting to knowthe property and scoping outpotential recreational opportu-nities. Land management andcompatible visitor-use plans arebeing developed with neighbors.Visit nature.org/arkansas andbuffaloriverfoundation.orgfor information on how to visitand ways you can support con-servation efforts like this inArkansas. n

Council Rock Forest PreserveThe new

preserve is

important for

wildlife and

water quality.

It is home to

three rare bat

species—the

northern long-

eared bat,

Indiana bat and

gray bat. And it

borders Big

Creek, which

flows into the

Buffalo River.

Council Rock Forest is a great place for hiking. © Aaron Copeland

Page 4: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

4

Healing riverbanks

Good things are happeningin the Greers Ferry Lake water-shed thanks to you. Your sup-port, coupled with anenthusiastic community ofpartners, local leaders andneighbors, inspired a series ofinvestments from BHP Billiton,Southwestern Energy and oth-ers to improve river health andoutdoor access for people. Afterfive years of work, the impact isreally starting to show.

Over three miles of erodingstreambanks have been restoredthrough natural channel designin the upper Little Red Riverwatershed. The ArkansasUnpaved Roads Program is im-proving roads to reduce sedi-ment runoff that muddies theriver. More than 1,900 acres arenow conserved along eight rivermiles to protect water qualityand give people more access tothe outdoors. Thanks to dedi-cated volunteers, there are newtrails at Bluffton Preserve onthe Archey Fork ready for youto explore.

In October the communitydedicated the new Gates-Rogers Outdoor Classroom atSouth Fork Nature Center onGreers Ferry Lake in Clinton.

The classroom was fundedby BHP through its Sustainable

Friends and partners welcomed BHP’s Doug Bannerman (center) at October’s dedica-tion of the Gates-Rogers Outdoor Classroom at the South Fork Nature Center.

Many Hands Help Greers Ferry WatershedYour support,

coupled with an

enthusiastic

community of

partners, local

leaders and

neighbors,

inspired a series

of investments

from BHP

Billiton,

Southwestern

Energy and

others to

improve river

health and

outdoor access

for people.

Rivers and Forests Initiativewith the Conservancy. With theCenter’s focus on outdoor edu-cation, it was a natural fit.

“When a group of partnersand the Conservancy startedworking in the watershed, wehad a vision for what we hopedto see happen in five to tenyears,” said Joy Wasson, riverconservation program directorfor the Conservancy. “Witheveryone pitching in, our visionhas expanded beyond anythingwe could have imagined.”

And the small fish thathelped bring conservation to theriver, the yellowcheek darter, anendangered fish found only in

the forks of the Little Red River,is recovering where its habitathas been restored. n

Installing geocell is one of the best man-agement practices being used to improve

unpaved roads.

Page 5: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

The Conservancy is part of aclose-knit community of partnersand land managers working to-gether to restore fire acrossArkansas to reduce wildfire risk,help wildlife thrive, and improveforest health. The partnership ismoving towards a goal of400,000 acres annually and thisyear saw a couple of exciting firststhat will help achieve that goal.

Poison Springs State Forestin south Arkansas burned over1,000 acres this season, the mostthey’ve ever done. And for thefirst time, six state parks con-ducted burns on the same day.To have that many trained pro-fessionals on the ground showsamazing growth in our state’s ca-pacity for fire restoration.

Thank you for supportingthis vital work.

Happy Batsat SylamoreU.S. Forest Service DistrictRanger Jim McCoy is on a mis-sion, and the results are impres-sive. In the past few years, hehas overseen restoration ofmore than 30,000 acres ofwoodlands and glades on theOzark National Forest’sSylamore Ranger District.

“We call this the Happy BatProject because the bats findbetter food and shelter in therestored areas,” said McReeAnderson, director of theConservancy’s interior high-lands and fire restoration pro-grams. “We are happy to beworking alongside the ForestService on thinning overlydense woods, restoring benefi-cial fire, and removing invasivecedars from the rocky glades.There’s a lot more to do, but it’slooking great.”

The project is considered anational model, and its partnershope to inspire similar collabo-rations elsewhere. Already it hasgarnered funding to keep thework going during times whenForest Service staff is limited.

If you’re on Highway 5 nearOptimus, see if you can spot therestored woodland and gladesurrounding the SugarloafMountain fire tower. n

Supporting fire restoration

Fire Is Spreading—And That’s Good

The first ever prescribed burns at Poison Springs State Park were a success.

These Indiana bats are happy about res -toration on the Sylamore Ranger District.

The project is

considered a

national model,

and its partners

hope to inspire

similar

collaborations

elsewhere.

Already it has

garnered

funding to keep

the work going

during times

when Forest

Service staff is

limited.

Page 6: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

6

It’s been three years since fourmiles of the ditched CacheRiver was reconnected to itsnatural channel in the biggestriver restoration theConservancy has undertaken inArkansas. The U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers surveyed the sitethis summer to see how aquaticwildlife—mussels in particular—responded to the changes. Theanswer was an enthusiastic“Great!” Mussels have begun re-colonizing the meanders, andthey are increasing in diversityand number due to reduced sed-iment and an increase in depthduring low flows. This meansthe river is getting healthier.Thank you for taking action forhealthy rivers in Arkansas,which contributes to improvedhabitat and healthier water.

Your support also enabledthe Conservancy’s involvementin the Wetland ConservationPolicy Coalition and the federalWetland Reserve EnhancementPartnership. Under theWetlands Reserve Easementprogram, landowners receiveassistance to restore marginalfarmland into functioning wet-lands. The wetlands help reduceflooding damage and soil ero-sion, improve wildlife habitat,increase farm profitability, and

reduce taxpayer dollars spent oncrop insurance payments.

In a recent project, theConservancy partnered withthe Natural ResourcesConservation Service andCharlie Proctor, a landowner inPrairie County, to restore 165acres along Wattensaw Bayou.He enrolled the marginal farm-land, which had been discon-nected from its naturalfloodplain for many years, inthe program and used the pro-ceeds to buy additional landmore suitable for farming. Byrestoring wetlands he hopes toimprove water quality while stillbeing able to farm for a living.

The program has improvedthe land for future generationsand improved the profitabilityof his farm. It’s a win-win fornature and agriculture. Theproject rerouted water from anold drainage ditch to a newlybuilt stream channel, allowingthe water to slow down andcarry less soil off the land. Treesplanted along the stream willalso hold the soil in place as wellas provide wildlife habitat.

This was the first project touse natural channel designmethods on a privately ownedWetlands Reserve Easement inthe Arkansas Delta. n

Restoration Successes in the Delta

The Proctor restoration is a result of Wetlands Reserve Easement funding.

Mussels have

begun

recolonizing the

meanders, and

they are

increasing in

diversity and

number due to

reduced

sediment and

an increase in

depth during

low flows. This

means the river

is getting

healthier.

Reforesting and restoring the Delta

Page 7: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

Hunting Unicorns(Ozark crayfish)

Gazing out over northArkansas’ rolling fields, youwould never know there is an-other world under your feet.But karst ecologist (literal caveman) Mike Slay knows, and ona recent trip to the Ozarks, hewas on the hunt for an elusivecreature. A tiny beast with anopaque shell and foggy eyes thathides among ripples in a hiddenstream in an even more hiddencave system.

About a decade ago, a cavecrayfish was discovered therethat at the time did not seemout of the ordinary. But as Mikeand his fellow scientists contin-ued exploring and learningabout the landscape and itsfauna, they noticed somethingodd. That crayfish did not fitthe pattern of all the others theyencountered. Could the infor-mation be wrong? Was it not anOzark crayfish they had foundyears ago? Is there a connectionbetween regions they were un-aware of? Had they discovered anew species and not realized it?

All are possible, especiallythe new species. Mike has aknack for that. He’s named 23species new to science. It will be

a while before we know for sure,but what we do know is contin-ual exploration is important.Creatures like cave crayfish areextremely sensitive to what ishappening above ground. Ifthey are healthy, it means therainwater running off the land,entering the karst landscape un-derground through cracks andcrevasses, is not carrying sedi-ment and pollutants, and ourdrinking water is clean.

Your support helps keepcave man Mike shining a lighton potential “unicorns” thatneed our help. n

Exploring the Hidden World of Karst

Mike Slay carries a mini science lab with him every time he goes underground.

Elusive cave crayfish found deep in the Ozarks

Cave time for clean water

Page 8: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

8

If you haven’t gotten outdoorslately, what are you waiting for?Thanks to the work of manyvolunteers, several Conservancypreserves have new and im-proved trails and are more visi-ble and user friendly. So, if youare making resolutions, one ofour favorites is to explore some-where new every month. Wehave a few suggestions:

s If you are in west LittleRock on your lunch break,check out the WilliamKirsch Preserve at RanchNorth Woods. Perfect for apicnic, brisk walk orwildlife viewing, it’s trulyan oasis in the city. There’sa new canoe-camping plat-form, too!

s If you have a few hours toget off the beaten path, takea trip toward Arkadelphia toexplore one of the last re-maining blackland prairiecomplexes at Terre Noire. Agood spot for a leisurelyhike or picnic, wildlife view-ing and spectacular spring-time wildflowers, it’s a greatway to spend a Saturday.

s If you have a full day, headto Bluffton Preserve on theLittle Red River near

Clinton or the Rob andMelani Walton Preserve innorthwest Arkansas. Bothoffer opportunities for allages to hike, fish, swim, pic-nic and enjoy nature.

s If a weekend getaway is onyour radar, look no furtherthan the Kings River DeckHouse. There you can hike,fish, paddle or just cozy upby the fire. And with sleep-ing arrangements for up to20 people, you can take yourentire family!

Find more information aboutthese and other special places atnature.org/arkansas andkingsriverdeckhouse.org. n

No Excuses for Boredom!

The Kings River is not only great for paddling, but for fishing too.

Look for newly marked trails at many ofour preserves.

Get out there!

Join us in

building a

constituency for

conservation.

Page 9: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

9

Last Great Places Society$10,000+Anonymous (2) Mr. & Mrs. Ritter ArnoldHorace C. Cabe FoundationDr. & Mrs. Joel CarverMr. & Mrs. John ChamberlinJohn A. Cooper, III Mr. & Mrs. George DavisMr. & Mrs. John P. FletcherDr. Morriss & Ann HenryEmmabell C. HerakRobert C. & Anne A. Hickman

FoundationRev. & Mrs. Christoph Keller, IIIKay & Jay LewisMr. & Mrs. Emon Mahony, Jr.Robin McClendon & Tom Wingard

Murphy FoundationMr. & Mrs. David NelmsMr. & Mrs. Don NelmsMr. & Mrs. Kei PangLisenne RockefellerElise RoenigkThe Ross FoundationVicki & Mark SaviersMr. & Mrs. Thomas SchueckDr. John SimpsonThe David Snowden Family Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable &

Educational TrustMr. & Mrs. Dhu Thompson Irene & Gus VratsinasWalton Family FoundationThe Rob and Melani Walton

Foundation

Drs. Becky & Gary WheelerMr. & Mrs. Brent Whittington

Nature’s Guardians$5,000–9,999Anonymous (1)Margaret A. BarteltFred A. BerryMr. & Mrs. Richard W. BoothBuffalo River FoundationMr. & Mrs. Greg FeltusJudy W. Fletcher Mrs. Carlton L. GarrettLinda V. HolbertLauryl & Tim Hynes Mr. & Mrs. Richard MahanMr. & Mrs. Hugh T. McDonaldRebsamen Fund

Conservation HeroesWhile we only have space to list gifts of $1,000 and above, we celebrate each and every gift we re-ceive. YOU are keeping Arkansas’ lands, waters and wildlife alive for this generation and the next.Your support has never been more important. Thank You! (Gifts July 1, 2016–June 30, 2017)

Catalysts $100,000+BHP Billiton PetroleumBig River Outfitters LLCTyson Foods, Inc.

Sustainers $50,000–$99,999Tarco, Inc./David Snowden & Family

Leaders $25,000–$49,999Delta Plastics of the South, LLCWindstream Communications

Conservators $10,000–$24,999Cooper Communities, Inc.Moots CyclesRittwood FarmsSchueck Steel Co.Simmons Foods, Inc.

Protectors $5,000–$9,999Mahco, Inc.PCTH Investments LLCPratt & Whitney

Friends $2,500–$4,999BRS LLLPCentral Arkansas OphthalmologyEnable Midstream PartnersEvergreen PackagingHarness Roofing, Inc.Potlatch Corporation

Supporters $1,000–$2,499Ash Grove Charitable FoundationAT&T, Inc.Calion Lumber CompanyCanfor Southern PineDeloitte Tax LLPDomtar Industries Inc.

Dover Dixon Horne PLLCECCIEntegrityFayettechillFlake & Kelley CommercialFTN Associates, Ltd.Green Bay Packaging, Inc.Maxwell Hardwood FlooringMerchants & Planters BankMHR—Mel Harness RoofingMountaire CorporationPack Rat Outdoor CenterPrice Services, Inc.Riggs Benevolent FundShell Oil Company FoundationSimmons BankSouthwest Power Pool

In-KindOzark Ecological Restorations, Inc.Ozark Southern StoneRiggs CATSugar Ridge Resort

Corporate Council for Conservation

We celebrate

each and every

gift we receive.

YOU are

keeping

Arkansas’ lands,

waters and

wildlife alive for

this generation

and the next.

Your support

has never been

more

important.

Page 10: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

10

Donor notes

Thank you to the Schueck Family for their commitment to conservation.

In Faulkner County, there is a special place thatwill remain natural thanks to a family’s decisionto conserve it.

For years, Tom Schueck and his family caredfor their 989-acre respite near Camp Robinson,going there to enjoy its grassy valleys full ofwildlife, its steep, wooded hills, and Pierce Creekrunning through the center. As homes beganpopping up around it, the family sought ways toensure their land would remain natural.

Tom approached the Conservancy for ideas.As a member of the Board of Trustees, he knewthere were many factors to consider. Was it aconservation priority? Could it be a preserve?How could it benefit the people of Arkansas?

The property is one of only two known sitesin Arkansas for the rattlesnake master borermoth, a critically imperiled species that has de-clined due to habitat loss. Ultimately theSchuecks donated the land to the Conservancywith the understanding that it would be sold toa conservation buyer. The land would be pro-tected and the proceeds would benefit otherconservation work around Arkansas. That buyerwas the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,and they are exploring ways to use the propertyfor their quail restoration program and for com-patible public recreation. Many thanks to theSchueck family for their generosity and desire togive back to nature. n

Schueck Family Gives Back to NatureUltimately the

Schuecks

donated the

land to the

Conservancy

with the

understanding

that it would be

sold to a

conservation

buyer. The land

would be

protected and

the proceeds

would benefit

other

conservation

work around

Arkansas.

Page 11: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

11

Thomas L. ScottMr. & Mrs. Craig ShackelfordJ. Baxter Sharp, IIIScott & Angela SimonDrs. Sylvia & Tim SimonMr. & Mrs. James Simpson, III Smith Holloway Patton Foundation/

Mr. & Mrs. William Patton, Jr.

Conservation Partners$1,000–4,999Drs. Lee Abel & Eleanor KennedyMr. & Mrs. Robert AllenJohn & Ruth AndreArbor Day FoundationDrs. Tracy & Kathy BaltzDr. & Mrs. Jeffrey BarberHank Bates & Barbara MilesDrs. J. Neal Beaton & Janet UdoujMr. & Mrs. James BiblerDr. Brenda M. BoothSusan & Robin BornéHugh H. BrewerMr. & Mrs. Thomas BrownC. Louis & Mary C. Cabe FoundationMr. & Mrs. Dick CarmicalCarolyn & Scott Crook Joe & Virginia Flynn CrowChristy & Mark DavisPeter S. DupreWilliam Elder & Karan FreemanMr. & Mrs. Kyle EvansGlenna J. FecherJose Pedro FigueiraLouise & Joe FoxDr. Deborah K. FulbrightMr. & Mrs. George GillCharles GlasierDr. & Mrs. David GrambortOrville & Susan HallMr. & Mrs. Chris HarkinsMr. & Mrs. Mel Harness Dr. & Mrs. John HendersonDr. Donald F. HillDr. & Mrs. Robert HornbeckClarice HunterHussman Family FoundationW. F. JamesJerome & Harriet JansmaJim & Ellen KaneMr. & Mrs. Drew KelsoKevin & Dr. Elicia KennedyGreg & Julie KresseSharon R. KresseMr. & Mrs. Robert LanfordDanette P. LawrieGar Lile

Karen & John LynchMr. & Mrs. Clifford LyonWilliam & Sabra MartinJames & Letitia MayeDr. & Mrs. Jay McDonaldMr. & Mrs. John David McFarlandTimothy J. McGauleyMr. & Mrs. Robert McMillinMorris Foundation, Inc./

Dorothy G. MorrisMr. & Mrs. Don MunroMunro FoundationJudge & Mrs. David NewbernMr. & Mrs. Ed NicholsonDr. Terrence A. OddsonCurt & Susan PattonDan & Sandra PhillipsKaitlin PittsKay PopeDr. & Mrs. Robert PowersDavid & Caron RobertsDr. & Mrs. Porter Rodgers, Jr.Ann B. RossoMr. & Mrs. Brian ShawDr. Mark O. SimonDr. & Mrs. L. Gene SingletonDr. & Mrs. Harvey Smith, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. David Snowden, Sr.Bill & Dana StewardSusan F. StraussJim & Libby StrawnDr. Barbara G. TaylorDr. & Mrs. Barry TedderElizabeth K. TerryTony & Audra ThomasRichard L. ThompsonMr. & Mrs. Bronson Van WyckMr. & Mrs. Jim WaltonJonathan C. WeedmanGay WhiteTheodore E. Williams

In-Kind Gifts

Mr. & Mrs. Michael ArendCouncil Rock Forest, LLCEagle Properties of Arkansas, Inc.Alan Hunnicutt & Tina ConeTimothy JonesMilancy McNamaraShannon McQuistonEstate of Sarah Moore & Kate HowardAnna and Don SlawskyWayne & Nadara Williams

RememberingJerry Cohen,Conservationist andBeloved ArkansanLong-time Conservancy members Huddyand the late Jerry Cohen lived, worked andraised their two daughters in Blytheville innortheast Arkansas. Following the careerpath of his father who founded the S. J.Cohen Company in the 1920s, Jerry was acivil engineer who contributed to Arkansasby creating, maintaining and renewing thecivic infrastructures that we rely upon eachday in our communities, from highways tobridges to canals and dams.

Jerry and Huddy shared a deep com-mitment to lifelong education, civil rightsand protection of the environment. TheCohen family wanted to make a gift thatwould honor Jerry’s memory and his lovefor the Arkansas Delta. Luckily theConservancy had just the thing: a beauti-ful piece of cypress-studded bottomlandalong Bayou DeView in WoodruffCounty. The Cohens made a generous giftto conserve the property, which connectsto the Arkansas Water Trails system andwill host a future camping platform forcanoeists and kayakers.

The preserve is part of a long-termvision of a protected river corridor thatconserves the Delta’s ancient forests andrich wildlife. The Cohens hope their giftinspires others to contribute to the con-servation of Arkansas’ natural treasures. n

Page 12: Conserving Arkansas forFuture Generations€¦ · 2 Board of Trustees Chair Gus Vratsinas, Little Rock Vice Chair Robin McClendon, Monticello Secretary Belinda Shults, Little Rock

The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas601 North University AvenueLittle Rock, Arkansas 72205(501) 663-6699

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